This is How You Remind Me
by Coneflower Adams
Summary: Felix is the hero of his game, but when Calhoun's life is endanger from a vengeful foe, can he live up to his hero status and save the woman he loves?
1. Chapter 1

**This is How You Remind Me**

_Writer's note: So, the only reason I'm writing this is because I wanted to have Calhoun tied up and her and Felix being tortured. I'm sorry! What is wrong with me? Um…enjoy!_

* * *

The throbbing in her head pounded like a heartbeat in stereo. Calhoun groaned, trying to comprehend why it felt like a cybug had bashed her in the brains, when she realized she was not in her own bed lying beside her husband.

She attempted to move her limps, but her arms were pulled behind her. Sharp, thin ropes cut into her wrists. Struggling to test the tightness only caused the rope to slice into her skin. Calhoun growled, gritting her teeth at the pain. Her ankles were also bound, and a hardy knot connected her feet and hands making it impossible to even try to sit upright.

Calhoun raised her aching head as best she could to take in her surroundings. It was a square room. The floor was made of concrete with a few pipes running in and out of the walls. A dim light hung on a chain from the ceiling.

The throbbing was beginning to dull now that she was moving her head, and the question of who would kidnap her ran across her mind. She had no enemies outside her game and only cybugs to deal with inside of it. Her husband, one of the nicest guys in the entire arcade, had no foes. Calhoun pushed the wonderings aside for now. Not knowing who or why she was tied up in a closed room made escaping even more important. It would be a challenge, but Calhoun was already mapping out ways she might be able to free herself.

"Hello?" a trembling voice echoed through a vent from somewhere behind her. "Anybody there?"

Calhoun sucked in a startled breath. She knew that voice. It should have been a relief to hear it, but instead, hearing it rocked her to the core. "Felix?" she gurgled out then cleared her thought and called to him again. "Felix, is that you?"

"Tammy!" the sheer relief that emitted from him stabbed her heart. "I'm trapped in a room! Where are you?"

"Same as you, soldier." She wiggled a little but it was no use.

"Oh my land," he gasped. She could hear him shuffling around. "Tammy, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

Calhoun snorted. Technically, she wasn't hurt, but the damn ropes binding her skin sure hurt like hell. "No," she settled, "but I'm tied up. Are you?"

Felix started breathing in short, worried gasps. "I'm not tied up. Oh Tammy, who would do this to us?"

"I don't know, but you need to remain calm, short stake," her voice was steady and even, hoping it would keep Felix on ground level. "If you're not tied up then maybe you can find a way out."

"I-I…" Felix stuttered, and she could tell he was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Fix-it!" she yelled. The manic shuffling behind the wall halted. "You need to pull it together and find a way out." Calhoun paused, struggling in vain one more time against her bonds. "I need you, Felix."

The shuffling began again, but this time there seemed to be purpose behind it. She heard a doorknob jiggle then Felix remarked, "It was a worth a shot."

"I'm guessing you don't have your hammer?"

"No, ma'am," came a miserable reply. "There's no one from here to Timbuktu that I can think of who would want to do something like this to us." A few knocks banged on the wall connecting hers and Felix's rooms. "The drywall is very thin. I wonder if I could break it and at least get to you."

"Do what you need to do, soldier."

A kick rattled the wall and a piece of drywall fell to the floor. Calhoun assumed Felix was fully dressed as she could hear him kicking the wall with force other than his foot. The last memory she had was of going to bed that night (in sweatpants and a tank top) and looking forward to their Sunday off. This was not what she had in mind for their day's break.

The wall in her room suddenly busted. Calhoun listened as the hole grew bigger and in a matter of moments Felix was at her side clad in jeans, a white t-shirt, and his boots. "Tammy!" He knelt in front of her, placing a hand to her cheek and pushing back her bangs. He glanced over her, and his face paled considerably at the red marks on her wrists and ankles. "My lands, you are hurt!"

Calhoun scowled. "I'm fine. Just untie me."

Felix was about to heed the command when the door creaked opened. Felix's head shot up, gasping in horror. Calhoun tried to see, but her position made it impossible.

"The damsel saving his hero in distress, how quite," the voice mocked.

Calhoun didn't recognize the voice, but she didn't have to when Felix uttered, "Turbo?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Writer's note: This part gets violent!_

* * *

Felix woke with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step. The most beautiful woman in the arcade lay in his bed. Their Sunday off had just started. Felix had planned to make breakfast in bed for his wife after he had fetched the newspaper from the mail slots in the lobby of the apartment building.

He never made it back to their apartment.

When he opened his eyes, Felix was shocked to find he was in a square room with no windows and only a dim overhead light. He wracked his brain for his last memory, finding he remembered pressing the button to the elevator but after that was a total blank.

He tentatively called out, hoping that someone would hear him. Someone did: his beautiful, fearless wife. And it flooded his being with such overwhelming relief…until Tamora informed him that she was also a prisoner.

Panic began to set in and Tamora had to talk him down. His nerves were on edge and being brave seemed a million miles away, but Tamora – his Tammy Jean – said she needed him and those words lit a fire in him. She was well adept to rescuing others, but now she needed rescuing and that fact brought Felix to the point of knocking a hole into the wall just to get to her.

Destroying the wall went completely against his code, but to heck with code! Tammy needed him!

When he slipped through the narrow hole he's kicked through the wall, Felix was shocked to find his wife lying on the cold, hard concrete with hands and legs tied behind her. Her wrists and ankles were cut and bloody (Hero's Duty being one of the few games in the arcade where the characters actually bled red). He'd never seen such a distressing sight, and his heart sunk to his stomach as he rushed to her side.

There was no time to untie Tamora before the answer to who had done this to them was finally answered.

"Turbo?" Felix gasped, horrified at the person blocking the doorway; the person that was supposed to be dead. He looked more like his old self again, though traces of his alternate personality, King Candy, could be seen. "But how?"

Turbo snickered, an evilly delighted sound. "As spectacular as my plan was to be King Candy, I knew I'd need a back-up plan just in case anything ever happened to me." He took a dangerous step closer, somehow seeming to loom over them even with his short stature. "I programmed a regeneration code into my code in Sugar Rush. It took several months, but I pieced myself back together."

Felix stood stunned and alarmed that something could even be done, but Tamora wasn't having it. "C'mon Fix-it, take the lunatic down!"

Her command knocked him out of his stupor, and Felix felt the anger boiling up inside him and the need to protect his wife taking over. He advanced, fist clenched at his sides and ready to fight dirty for once. Turbo only giggled deviously and snapped his fingers.

Felix stopped short as two towering soldiers - dressed in civvies - he recognized from Hero's Duty lumbered through the doorway one behind the other.

Turbo smirked, steepling his fingers in front of him. "You really thought I was stupid enough to not bring manpower to take down G.I. Jane?"

"But you're in Tamora's squad-" Felix addressed the men, bewildered. All her men were loyal, or so it seemed.

"Fisher! Wachter! What the hell are you doing working for this psychopath?" Tamora yelled, arching her body to catch a glance at which of her men had betrayed her.

"We want more than shooting bugs every single day," Wachter notified.

"And you think this nut job can give it to you?!"

Fisher felt the need to add, "Sarge, you can be a real-"

"Enough!" Turbo interjected. Snapping his fingers again, both soldiers moved towards the prisoners. Felix, though trembling, stood his ground in front of his wife. Wachter's large hand grabbed the back of his collar, hoisting Felix into the air. He struggled and kicked, but it was useless. Fisher moved towards his wife, clasping her forearms and yanking Tamora to her knees.

"Turbo, what do you want with us?" Felix asked.

Turbo snapped again and Wachter clamped hands around Felix's forearms, kneeling so that Felix was on Turbo's level. "Before I explain anything – and believe me I can't wait for that part – let's play 'what game are we in?'."

A brick from the dump was pulled out of somewhere on Turbo. His yellow teeth glowed as he raised the brick and slammed it into Felix's head.

When she saw the brick, Calhoun had a sinking feeling of dread for what Turbo had in mind for it. She screamed in horror as Turbo brought the brick down on Felix's head, feeling the most helpless she'd ever been in her whole existence. The telltale demise music played as Felix's body went through its death spill. A moment later he was regenerating, shock covering his face as he came back to life.

"Good thing we're in your game, Fix-it," Turbo commented casually. He tossed the brick aside, pivoting to face Tamora. "Now, down to business."

"I'm going to destroy you, you sick bastard," Tamora snarled, shaking her shoulders to get away from Fisher. The soldier squeezed her arms to still her again.

Turbo giggled, pointing a finger at her. "Sure you will, my dear."

"Please, Turbo," Felix pleaded. "Why are you doing this to us?"

"You two are unfortunately puzzle pieces in my plan for revenge on the glitch and her oversized warthog."

Turbo raked his eyes up and down Calhoun's constrained form. Wickedness dripped from him as his lip curled into an evil smile. He flicked the smile over his shoulder at Felix before rearing a gloved fist back and slamming it into Tamora's cheekbone. For such a small being, he packed quite a wallop.

"NO!" Felix screamed, horrified by what he was witnessing.

Turbo pulled a short cane from his red belt and swung the gold tip into Calhoun's abdomen. She doubled over, hissing and gritted her teeth. Before she could recover, Turbo struck her fiercely on the side. Calhoun's yelp echoed off the bare room's walls.

"Turbo, please stop!" Felix pleaded as his eyes welled up with unshed tears, feeling like the most helpless creature in existence. His wife was being beaten, tortured, and bloodied and all he could do was watch. If she died in his game, he'd never forgive himself. "Don't hurt her, please!"

"I'm okay, Felix," Tamora huffed out through labored breaths. Sergeant Tamora Calhoun, always the brave soldier.

"Tammy," Felix cried miserably, tears streaking his cheeks. He desperately wished he could take every blow Turbo executed.

Turbo grabbed Tamora's chin between his fingers, stroking his thumb roughly against her skin. "How did you score such a gorgeous piece of modern technology, Fix-it?" Tamora jerked her chin from his grasp defiantly. Turbo rewarded her with an icy glare. He turned his back to her, a contemplative expression on his face then whirled around slamming the cane into her already bruised side.

Felix stomach wrenched severely as Tamora tried to suppress a groan. "What do you want, Turbo? I'll do anything, just please stop hurting my wife!"

"Well, I'm so happy you offered your services, Fix-it." Turbo strutted up to Felix, pinching his nose and slapping him on the cheek playfully. His tone was anything but playful. "I knew I could count on you." He pivoted away, pacing back and forth with one hand behind his back, the cane clutched in it. "Ralph and the little abomination trust you. You need to bring them here to me."

"And if he doesn't?" Calhoun asked, already assuming where this was going.

Turbo flicked a knowing smile at her over his shoulder then pushed his face only inches from touching Felix's nose. "I will kill your lovely wife." His yellow teeth gleamed as Felix's face drained of all color.

"Don't do it, Felix!" Tamora yelled. "He's going to kill me-" She was cut off by a backhanded slap to the face, blood trickling from her nose, a few drops staining her white tank top.

"I'll do it," Felix resigned, head bowed. His sad eyes rose to meet Turbo's sickeningly delighted gaze. "Please don't hit her again."

"Very well." Turbo snapped his fingers and Wachter released Felix, dropping him roughly to the concrete. "No funny business, Fix-it. I have eyes on you, so if you try to alert anyone about this, your soldier wife is as good as gone." Turbo swiped out the way. "Go say your goodbyes."

Felix scudded past Turbo, falling on his knees beside his wife, ignoring the sting of the impact through his jeans. He tore a piece of his t-shirt off at the hem and dabbed the blood seeping from her nose. "Tammy, I don't know what to do," he whispered, cradling her shining cheek gently. "I'm the hero, and I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave you here with him."

"Time is ticking," Turbo announced.

Tamora glared daggers at him over Felix's shoulder then returned her gaze to Felix's worried eyes. "Listen, Fix-it. I'll be okay. Focus on your mission. I know you'll come through. Got it, soldier?"

Felix nodded. "I love you, Tammy." He placed a loving kiss to her lips, not caring if there were traces of dried blood there.

"Love you, short stake," Tamora murmured against his lips.

Turbo blocked his path as Felix took that dreaded step to leave. He shoved a pile of clothes into Felix's chest. "Go clean yourself up."

It took every pixel of strength in his little 8-bit body to walk out the room, leaving the woman he loved with a regenerated psychopath and his two henchmen. He immediately started racking his brain for ways to beat Turbo, knowing if he didn't figure out a plan soon, it'd be game over for both of them.


	3. Chapter 3

"Pull!"

A giant peppermint flew into the air and exploded, sending tiny shards of red and white everywhere to litter the fudge ground. Vanellope whooped, jutting a triumphant fist towards the sky. "I'm gettin' good, huh Ralphie!"

Ralph rolled his eyes. Ever since Calhoun had given the little dark haired racer a small laser gun, Vanellope had practically dragged Ralph from Game Central Station every evening after closing time to practice shooting with it. She was determined to get as good as the space marine sergeant, and Ralph had to admit, his little friend was a pretty good aim. Of course, he wasn't sure he should let her know that. Knowing Vanellope, she'd probably waltz into Hero's Duty and take on every cybug singlehandedly.

Ralph shrugged a large shoulder. "Ah, you're doing okay."

"Are you crazy?!" Vanellope yelped, glitching to stand on Ralph's shoulder. "I'm awesome! Pretty soon I'll be able to earn a medal in Hero's Duty." As usual, she couldn't help but snicker.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Ralph replied, grabbing her by the back of her hoodie and placing her on the ground.

Vanellope beamed up at him as if her mischievous habits were a good thing. She gasped as her eyes caught sight of a familiar blue-collared figure, and she glitched to Felix, throwing her arms around his neck. "Hey, handyman! Where's Sarge?"

Felix froze for a moment then embraced Vanellope, hugging her as if she was the most precious thing in existence. Vanellope pulled away, feeling something was wrong.

"Hey, buddy," Ralph greeted, and immediately he noticed Felix's odd demeanor as well. "You okay?"

Felix cleared his throat, a strained smile spreading his face. "I'm fine," he replied, a tremor in his voice. Ralph and Vanellope didn't look convinced. "Really, I am!"

"Where's your better half?" Ralph asked.

"Uh-" Felix gazed at the chocolate ground, a gloved hand rubbing the back of his neck. "She's at home. Wasn't feeling well."

Vanellope smiled, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "We should bring her some hot cocoa! That always makes me feel better!"

"No!" Vanellope bulked and Ralph cocked his head at Felix's unusual outburst. Felix's eyes widened, realizing he wasn't playing this convincing at all. "I mean, it would be great if you two came to see Tamora." His words sounded pained and even his face grimaced. "She'd like that."

Ralph stared at Felix, the handyman's shoulders slumped and usually cheerful face contorted with…could it be fear? "Let's go make that hot cocoa real quick at the castle." Felix looked like he was about to burst into tears, but his eyes stayed dry as he followed his friends into the overwhelmingly pink castle.

* * *

Once the doors were shut, Ralph halted letting Vanellope jump off his shoulder before he turned to his old gamemate. "Okay, Felix. Spill."

Felix gazed at him with wide, fearful eyes. "What do you mean, Ralph?"

Ralph placed his gigantic fists on his sides. "There's something wrong, and you're going to tell us."

Vanellope glanced from the larger than life wrecker to the pintsized handyman, confused, but kept quiet. She knew when something serious was going on between the adults that it was better to let them handle it and stay out of the way.

"I can't," Felix's voice cracked as a tear finally escaped down his cheek. "You two really need to come with me or-"

"Or what?" Vanellope asked, her usually hyperactive vocals toned down to a murmur.

With a guttural growl that was very uncharacteristic of the friendly handyman, Felix spun around on his heel, yanking his hat off to twist anxiously in his hands. He began pacing. "Tammy is in danger!"

"What?!" Ralph exclaimed. "What kind of danger?" Technically, the Sergeant was in danger every day in her game, but she'd regenerate if anything happened to her.

Felix slapped the hat back on his head, and halted his frantic pacing. "Turbo is back."

Shocked expressions covered Ralph and Vanellope's features. The little girl scooted closer to Ralph's side. "Turbo?" Ralph asked. "But how?"

"Somehow he had a back-up code for him to regenerate if anything ever happened to him in Sugar Rush. It regenerated him and now he has Tammy hostage in the basement of the Niceland apartments." Felix heaved a sigh, his voice pained. "He wants…he wants me to bring you two to him or he'll kill Tammy." He glanced up at Ralph, a fresh batch of tears welling up in his eyes. "I can't do that to you two, but my wife…" Felix rubbed the tears from his cheeks. "I just want all of you to be safe."

Ralph placed a comforting hand on Felix's back. "Don't worry, buddy. We'll save Sarge somehow."

"I'm so sorry, Ralph."

"It's okay." He patted his friend's back. "And it'll be okay. We'll figure out a way." Ralph glanced down at Vanellope, only to find her pacing back and forth in deep thought. "Kid?"

Vanellope looked at him, her brow set. Ralph hadn't seen her features that determined since she spun out at her very first race. "I know how to stop Turbo."

"You what?" Felix and Ralph exclaimed simultaneously. "But how?" Felix asked, desperately.

Vanellope curled her small hands into fist and stalked off towards the throne room. "Follow me, boys."


	4. Chapter 4

As if the burning cuts on her limbs and the affliction from the beating wasn't enough, Calhoun's shoulders felt like knives were stabbing straight into her joints. She knelt uncomfortably on her knees, the concrete digging through the thin fabric of her sweatpants. Turbo, the sick little miscreant, was pacing outside the room, twirling his cane idly. Fisher stood looming over her, arms folded across his broad chest.

She thought of Felix and how he was faring. Her poor, sweet husband was tougher than he seemed, but holding it together in such fragile situations was not his strong point. But, she trusted him with her life. Felix loved her deeper than the most embedded code. He'd find a way.

Calhoun wasn't one to sit idle and wait to be rescued like some frilly damsel. She was a soldier, first and foremost, and the wheels in her mind never stopped rolling out strategy. The stabbing in her shoulders may work in her favor. She growled as she tried to shift.

"Fisher-"

The former Hero's Duty soldier lowered his gaze to her. "What, Sarge?"

"At least cut the rope holding my wrists and ankles together. My knees and shoulders are roaring."

Fisher snorted. "You think I'm stupid?"

Calhoun rolled her eyes. "Look, Fisher. I'm not going anywhere. The ropes around my wrists and ankles are so damn tight they're making me bleed." She stared straight into his eyes, contorting her face to hopefully appear softer than the usual iron glare. She may have been a tough as nails marine sergeant, but she was also a woman.

Fisher stared her down for a long moment then breathed a heavy sigh through his nose. "Don't try anything, Sarge." He leaned over, slicing the rope connecting her wrists and ankles with the knife from his belt.

Calhoun slowly rolled off her knees to her rear, scooting back until she touched the wall. With shoulders relaxed (as best as she could) against the wall, she leaned her head back, breathing in relief through her parted lips. It was still incredibly uncomfortable, but the stabbing in her shoulders was easing somewhat.

Turbo stepped into view and pivoted sharply into the room. "Your little pipsqueak husband is taking his dear time."

"Look who's talking, shorty," Calhoun remarked, earning a glare from Turbo. The racer was about to step out the room again when she added, "So, what's your plans, Turbo-jerk? Kill all of us then take over the arcade?"

Turbo turned, twirling his cane between his fingers. "Who said I was going to kill all four of you?" He took a step closer, an evil yellow grin spreading his face. "I could use you, Soldier girl. With you and your troops behind me, I could take over the entire arcade."

"Like fun I'd ever help you," Calhoun snarled.

Turbo drew even closer, nabbing her chin and digging his blocky fingertips into her cheeks. Under her disheveled bangs, Calhoun glared daggers into him. "You don't have a say in this, dearie. I can go into your coderoom and recode every one of your soldiers and _you _to serve_ me_." Turbo straightened up, flicking Calhoun a devious sidelong glance. "I'd have my own army and no one could stand in my way!"

Calhoun's blood boiled at every word from Turbo's mouth. She suspected he had plans for arcade domination, and taking over an entire arcade would be like controlling dozens upon dozens of universes. The possibilities were endless!

As a soldier, it was engrained in her code to protect worlds. But as a wife and friend, she found an even deeper need to protect the ones she loved and at that moment the one thing motivating her was stopping this lunatic from hurting her family. It coursed through her body into her limbs; she couldn't contain it any longer.

With Turbo's back to her, Calhoun jutting out her bounded ankles, connecting with Turbo and sending him crashing into the opposite wall. Quickly, she tucked her bound wrists under her legs, bringing them in front of her and pouncing at her captor with a ravenous roar.

She didn't obtain her target. A swift hand grabbed her ankle, and she slammed face first onto the concrete floor. Calhoun rolled onto her side, growling in anger. A warm trickle flowed onto her lip and she knew her nose was now busted. If they made it out of there alive, Felix would have a heck of a job having to fix her injuries.

Calhoun cried out as she was yanked upwards onto her knees by her hair. Fisher didn't let go and it felt as if the back of her head would rip off. Turbo was on his feet, brushing himself off meticulously then coolly strolled over to her. She watched him through long bangs that stuck to her face, mingling with the blood running from her nose.

Turbo pressed the tip of his cane into her throat, digging it almost to the point of crushing her windpipe. He leaned in, glaring coldly into her eyes. She didn't back down, staring deadly back at him.

"On second thought," Turbo exhorted, twisting the cane's tip, making her skin burn, "I may just kill you too."

He pulled his cane back, swung, and all went black.


End file.
